Will crew do something different at this year's Monaco Yacht Show?

With a growing acknowledgement of the importance of superyacht crew to the wider industry, Lulu Trask asks if crew will step out of the crew bubble at this year's show.…

It’s become somewhat of a tradition that each year, in the run up to the Monaco Yacht Show, I share what I think crew would benefit from most at the show. In previous years, this has largely consisted of listing the only events on offer to crew and explaining why they're important, but this year it’s different. This year there’s a plethora of seminars, workshops, awards, you name it, all for the crew. This might just be the first year that crew actually have a choice about which crew-focused event to attend at the prestigious and traditionally owner-focused sales show.

This year the Professional Yachting Association (PYA) is in full swing, not only hosting two Sea Changes forums (Headline and Interior), but also hosting a number of workshops in La Rascasse with ACREW Monaco. These range from the role of a superyacht deckhand and interactive GUEST training sessions to getting through your deck qualifications and superyacht toys and watersports emergencies. Interior crew can also take part in the PYA’s charity table setting competition on Wednesday 28th, with results to come at the Interior Sea Changes seminar on the Friday. (See the full PYA timetable here.)

And this is just the tip of the iceberg. ACREW Monaco is hosting a huge number of workshops for superyacht crew, from how to get the most out of a refit to free medical classes – the latter of which could be particularly valuable, given a captain’s recent comment to me that crew need to be better trained for when medical incidents take place on board. (See the full ACREW Monaco programme here.)

But let's step out of the crew bubble for a moment and think about what’s happened over the past year; two key, not originally crew-focused organisations, are official supporters of the PYA’s GUEST Program *SYBAss and MYBA), Heesen Yachts is launching the Heesen Academy for crew, and I have a feeling this won’t be the last of its kind. The superyacht industry as a whole is taking a far greater interest in crew, and appreciating the integral role a crewmember plays in this industry.

I would encourage crew to go and meet the industry; take an interest in those who are now, finally, taking an interest in you.

So with this in mind, I would encourage crew to go and meet the industry; take an interest in those who are now, finally, taking an interest in you. Yes, it’s fun to head off for a free glass of rose (and I wouldn’t dare tell crew otherwise), but once you’ve done that and caught up with those friends you haven’t seen since you were berthed next to each other this time last year, go and speak to the yacht managers, the shipyards, the manufacturers and the designers. Because while their primary purpose of the show might not be to network with crew, if you get them at the right time, they’ll want to hear from you. Every day and at every event, we hear more CEOs vocalising the importance of crew, so prove to them that they're right. If you’ve got a thought or opinion from which you think they’d benefit, tell them. I guarantee you, they'll want to hear it.

And last but certainly not least, I want to wave a big SuperyachtNews flag and ask you, the crew, to come and speak to me and the wonderful team we’ll have at the show this year. We’ll be on the ground to cover the hottest topics, new trends and your always important opinions. One of my missions at this year's show is to speak with as many crew as possible, so if you're at the show and you want to grab a coffee, have a catch up or introduce yourself, or simply tell me about a burning issue that you think we need to cover editorially - and professionally - just get in touch, here.

And on that note, have a wonderful Monaco Yacht Show, and see you in Monaco.

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